Cap for compression-rubber assembly



w. J. SUMMERS ETAL 3,029,846

CAP FOR COMPRESSION-RUBBER ASSEMBLY April 17, 1962 2 sheds-sheet 1 FIG. I. FIG. 2

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Filed Jan. 14, 1959 FIG. 4.

INVEN TOR. W/u/fl/ J. SUM/4532f FEEDER/oi 77 MAY /777UPA/EX A ril 17, 1962 w. J. SUMMERS ETAL CAP FOR COMPRESSION-RUBBER ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 14, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 8.

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4770RA/EK Unite States 3,029,846 CAP FOR COMPRESSION-RUBBER ASSEMBLY William J. Summers and Frederick T. May, Verona, N.J., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 786,842 3 Claims. (Cl. 141-65) The present invention relates to compression-rubber assemblies utilized in exhaust machines for incandescent lamps and the like and, more particularly, to an improved cap for such a compression-rubber assembly.

Heretofore incandescent lamps and the like have been exhausted on machines of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,113,798, issued April 12, 1938 to D. Mullan. Each of the heads of such a machine are provided with a com pression-rubber assembly of the type shown in US. Patent No. 2,254,905, issued Sept. 2, 1941 to D. Mullan.

A compression-rubber assembly of this type comprises essentially a body having a washer-like compression rubber seated therein and a metallic Washer and a ball bearing stacked on top of the compression rubber. A cap which is threadable on the body has a laterally extending arm afiixed thereto, which arm is precisely oriented on the cap for operative engagement with cam means. These cam means cause rotation of the cap to either press the metallic washer (through the ball bearing) against the compression rubber to squeeze it about the exhaust tube at the proper time, thus effecting an air-tight connection therewith, or to release the pressure thereon to facilitate insertion or withdrawal therefrom.

The high temperature to which the compression rubbers are subjected during the baking of the incandescent lamps causes the compression rubbers to eventually lose their resiliency and to crack. Repeated insertion and withdrawal of the tubulations from the compression rubbers results in considerable wear and attendant cutting thereof. In addition sometimes the tubulations break off in the compression rubber with the result that chips or broken pieces of glass become lodged in the compression rubber.

In addition, good maintenance techniques require weekly inspection of each compression rubber to prevent lengthy periods of shut-down for the exhaust machine.

In order to inspect or replace the compression rubber in a conventional compression-rubber assembly, it is necessary to remove the cap from the body. Due to space limitations on the exhaust machine and the length of the oriented arm affixed to the cap, it is impossible to remove the cap by merely rotating the oriented arm in complete revolutions until the cap is unthreaded from the body. It is therefore essential to first disconnect the oriented arm from the cap before such cap may be unthreaded and the ball bearing and washer removed to inspect or remove the compression rubber. Upon removal, the cap, being small in size, is often misplaced or lost.

After the compression rubber has been inspected or replaced, the cap is then screwed onto the body and the arm reaffixed to the body in its precisely oriented position so that it will once more operatively engage the above-mentioned cam means provided on the conventional exhaust machine. This replacement operation requires the complete shut-down of the exhaust machine thereby resulting in considerable lost production time and maintenance cost.

It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties of and objections to prior art practices by the provision of an improved cap for a compression-rubber assembly which permits inspection or replacement of the compression rubber while the exhaust machine is in operation.

Another object of the present invention is the provision.

of an improved cap which reduces lost production time on the exhaust machine for inspection or replacement of compression rubbers, and reduces the cost of performing such inspection or replacement.

Still another object of the present invention is an im proved cap, the use of which eliminates the necessity of dismantling previously adjusted and oriented parts associated therewith during the inspection or replacement of a compression rubber.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved cap which cannot be misplaced or lost during inspection or replacement of compression rubbers.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved cap which is adapted for use with a conventional compression-rubber assembly without modifying the latter.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved cap apertured to facilitate rapid removal of the ball bearings and an improved shouldered metallic washer adapted also for rapid removal.

The aforesaid objects of the present invention and other objects which will become apparent as'the description proceeds are achieved by providing an improved cap for a compression-rubber assembly having a compressionruhber body comprising a cap which remains on the body of the compression rubber assembly during inspection or dismantling thereof and a readily movable cover for such cap which may be moved from a parts-securing position to a parts-exposing position to expose the inner parts of a compression rubber assembly for either inspection or replacement.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical-sectional view of a conventional compression-rubber assembly provided with a preferred embodiment of the improved cap of the present invention, and taken along the line II of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a conventional compressionrubber assembly provided with a preferred embodiment of the improved cap of the present invention and showing the improved cap in the closed or parts-securing position.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and showing the improved cap in the open or parts-removal position.

FIG. 4 is a vertical-sectional view along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows and showing removal apertures provided in the cap for rapid removal of the ball bearings and an improved shouldered metallic washer adapted also for rapid removal.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a first alternative embodiment of the improved cap of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second alternative embodiment of the improved cap of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the cap shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a vertical-sectional view along the line VIIIVIII of FIG. 7 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a third alternative embodiment of the improved cap of the present invention, which embodiment is provided with an adapter to enable the use of the improved cap with a conventional body of the conventional rubber assembly.

FIG. 10 is a vertical-sectional View along the line XX of FIG. 9 in the direction of the arrows.

Although the improved cap of the present invention may be utilized in the compression rubber assemblies of all types of exhaust machines employed in the manufacture of incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, discharge devices and the like, such improved cap of the present invention is particularly adapted for use in acompression-rubber assembly for an exhaust machine for incandescent lamps and hence it has been so illustrated and will be so described.

With specific reference to the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, and referring particularly to FIG. 1, a conventional compression-rubber assembly of the type shown in the above-mentioned US. Patent No. 2,254,905, is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. Since the compression-rubber assembly per se, forms no part of the present invention it is deemed sufi'icient to say that such assembly 10 comprises a hollow compression rubber 12 which thereby provides the usual axial guide hole therethrough for securing and guiding the lamp tubulation 24, said rubber being mounted in an externally threaded and hollow metal body 14 to which is threaded an improved cap 16 of the present invention. This body 4 is provided with a laterally extending arm 18 which is adapted to be cam actuated (by conventional means not shown) to either press an improved metallic washer 20 (through ball bearings 22) against the compression rubber 12 to squeeze it about an exhaust tubulation 24 of an incandescent lamp at the proper time to eflect an air-tight connection therewith, or release the pressure thereon to facilitate insertion therein or withdrawal therefrom of such exhaust tubulation 24.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, it will be noted that that improved cap 16 of the present invention comprises a member such as a cap body 26, having an upper flange 23 on which a readily-movable cap cover 30 is mounted to retain the compression rubber 12 and the associated washer 20 and ball bearings 22 within the body 14 while such movable cap cover 39 is in the parts-securing position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

For the purpose of permitting the movable cap cover 30 to be freely moved between the closed or parts-securing position shown in FIG. 2 to the open or parts-exposing position shown in FIG. 3, such movable cap cover 30 is pivoted on a headed bolt 32 upstanding from the upper flange 28 of the cap body 26. So that a tubulationguide hole 34 in the cap cover 30 may be properly aligned with the axial opening in the compression rubber 12, while the movable cap cover 30 is in the parts-securing position shown in FIG. 2, a headed retaining screw 36 (upstanding from the upper flange 28 of the cap body 26) is receivable in an annular slot 38 in the movable cap cover 30 when the latter is in the parts-securing position shown in FIG. 2. Such retaining screw 36 acts as a stop to align the tubulation-guide hole 34 with the axial guide hole in the compression rubber 12 and the head of such retaining screw 36 is screwed down on the movable cap cover 30 to secure the latter in the parts-securing position.

When it becomes necessary to inspect or replace the compression rubber 12, the retaining screw 36 is loosened and the movable cap cover is swung in clockwise direction in a horizontal plane about its pivot 32 from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 3 where a stop 33 (FIGS. 1-3) on the movable cap cover 30 engages the side of upper flange 28. Insertion of a tool, such as a screw driver, into one or both of a pair of diametrically opposed tool-inserting apertures or recesses 40 (FIG. 4) provided in the upper flange 28 of the cap body 26 permits the rapid removal of the ball bearings 22. The cap body 26 is provided also with an opening 29 (FIG. 4) of the same diameter as an aperture 31 in the body 14. The recesses 40 are located at and extend radially beyond the opening 29 in the cap body 26. By grasping a reduced diameter upper portion 42 of the improved shouldered metallic washer 29 with his fingers, the operator is then able to easily remove such shouldered washer 29. After the insertion or replacement operation is completed, the movable cap cover 30 is returned to the position shown in FIG. 2 and the retaining screw 36 is received in the slot 38, whereupon 4 such retaining screw 36 is tightened to retain the movable cap cover 30 in such parts-securing position.

It will be appreciated from a consideration of FIGS. 14 that during this inspection or replacement operation the movable cap cover 36 remains aflixed to the cap body 26 and the possibility of misplacing or losing such cap cover during such operations is eliminated. It will also be appreciated that when the movable cap cover 30 is in the parts-securing position shown in FIG. 2, the movable cap cover 39 is secured at two diametrically opposed points by the heads of the pivot 32 and the retaining screw 36 thereby preventing the upward force of the compressed compression rubber 12 from lifting or cocking such movable cap cover 30 with respect to the cap body 26.

In order to eliminate the unscrewing of the retaining screw 36 before moving the movable cap cover from the parts-securing position to the parts-exposing position and thus speed up such operation, it will become apparent from a consideration of a first alternative embodiment of the improved cap shown in FIG. 5, that the headed retaining screw 36 need not be tightened after its reception in the slot 38 in the movable cap cover 39 but may func' tion solely as a stop for the alignment of the tubulationguide hole 34 with the opening in the compression rubber 12. The means utilized in FIG. 5 to retain the movable cap cover 35 in the aligned parts-securing position consists of a spring clip 44 pivoted at 46 on the upper flange 23 of the cap body 26. Such spring clip 44 is provided with a lip portion 48 which extends over and engages a recess 49 provided in the adjacent top portion of the movable cap cover 30, as viewed in FIG. 5.

In order to expose the abovementioned parts contained within the compression rubber assembly, the lip portion 43 of spring clip 44 is moved manually out of the recess 49 and away from the top edge of the movable cap cover 3% and such spring clip 44 is rotated in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction (FIG. 5) to position the latter in the dotted-line position shown in such figure. The now-released movable cap cover 30 is then moved in clockwise direction in a horizontal plane, as viewed in FIG. 5, about its pivot 32 to expose the inner portions of the cap body 26 and the compression-rubber assembly for the inspection or replacement operation.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 through 8, a second alternative embodiment of the improved cap of the present invention is shown, which second alternative embodiment is adapted for even faster movement from the partssecuring position to the parts-exposing position. In this second alternative embodiment the upper flange 28 of the cap body 26 is eliminated and the readily removable cap cover 30a is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed spring clips 59 mounted on the removable cap cover 30a by screws 52. Each of the spring clips 50 carries a pin 54 which is insertable in registering holes 56 provided in the movable cap cover 30a and the upper portion of the cap body 26 respectively.

The removable cap cover 30a may be readily removed from the upper portion of the cap body 26 by manually withdrawing the pin 54 on each of the spring clips 50 from the holes 56 and removing such cap cover 3011 from the cap body 26, thus exposing the ball bearings 22, the improved metallic shouldered washer 20 and the compression rubber 12, for inspection or replacement.

As a third alternative embodiment which is a modification of the first alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the spring clip 44 shown therein may be replaced by the arrangement shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and the upper flange 28 of the cap body 26 may be replaced by an annular adapter 60 utilized to adapt a conventional cap 26a of a conventional compression-rubber assembly for use with the improved cap covers of the present invention. The fixed cover portion of the conventional cap 26a is of course removed and the upper portion of the cap 26a shouldered to receive the adapter 60.

Such annular adapter 60 may be secured in the upper portion of the conventional cap body 26a by suitable means, such as welding as shown in FIG. 10. So that the movable cap cover 30 may be secured in the partsecuring position on the annular adapter 60 with the tubulation-guide hole 34 in registry with the aperture in the compression rubber, a ball 62 is mounted in a vertical bore 64 provided in the annular adapter 66' and such ball 62 is biased by a spring 66 upwardly into a registering recess 68 provided in the movable cap cover 30.

When it becomes necessary to inspect or replace the compression rubber, manual pressure on the movable cover 30, laterally applied from the lower portions of FIG. 9 causes the recess 68 to ride off the spring-biased ball 62 thus permitting such movable cap cover 31 to pivot on the headed pivot 32 from the solid-line (or partssecuring position shown in FIG. 9) to the open or partsexposing position (not shown).

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by the provision of an improved cap for a compressionrubber assembly, which cap permits inspection or replacement of the compression rubber while the exhaust machine is in operation. The use of this improved cap eliminates the necessity of removing previously adjusted and oriented parts of the compression-rubber assembly before such cap may be moved to permit the inspection or replacement of the compression rubber. Employment of this improved cap reduces lost production time on the exhaust machine as well as maintenance cost for inspecting and replacing the compression rubbers. Since the improved cap is not disattached from the cap body during the inspection or replacement of the compression rubber, such cap will not be misplaced or lost. By the use of an adapter such improved cap cover may be employed with a conventional compression-rubber assembly. The provision of tool-inserting apertures in the cap body and use of a shouldered washer facilitates the inspection or replacement operation.

While in accordance with the patent statutes one best known embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

We claim:

1. In a machine for exhausting an electric lamp through a tubulation ofsaid lamp, an assembly for receiving and holding said tubulation, comprising a body threaded on its exterior and provided with an aperture, a compression rubber in said aperture said rubber having an axial guide hole receiving and guiding said tubulation, a washer in said aperture and on said compression rubber, said washer having a central opening receiving said tubulation therethrough and having a lower portion with an outside diameter corresponding with the diameter of said aperture of the body and having an upper portion of smaller diameter thereby providing an annular recess, anti-friction means in said recess, a cap body threadable on said body and provided with an opening of the same diameter as said aperture in the body, said cap body also being provided with a toolinserting recess located at and extending radially beyond said opening in the cap body to facilitate removal of said compression rubber and said washer, and a cover movable on said cap body to permit the inspection or replacement of said compression rubber.

2. In a machine for exhausting an electric lamp through a tubulation of said lamp, an assembly for receiving and holding said tubulation, comprising a body threaded on its exterior and provided with an aperture,

a compression rubber in said aperture said rubber having an axial guide hole receiving and guiding said tubulation, a washer in said aperture and on said compression rubber, said washer having a central opening receiving said tubulation therethrough and having a lower portion with an outside diameter corresponding with the diameter of said aperture of the body and having an upper portion of smaller diameter thereby providing an annular recess, anti-friction means in said recess, a cap body threadable on said body and provided with an opening of the same diameter as said aperture in the body, said cap body also being provided with a tool-insorting recess located at and extending radially beyond said opening in the cap body to facilitate removal of said compression rubber and said washer, a cover movable on said cap body to permit the inspection or replacement of said compression rubber, said cover being provided with a slot, and securing means on said cap body operable to fit into said slot to secure said cover to said cap body.

3. In a machine for exhausting an electric lamp through a tubulation of said lamp, an assembly for receiving and holding said tubulation, comprising a body threaded on its exterior and provided with an aperture, a compression rubber in said aperture said rubber having an axial guide hole receiving and guiding said tubulation, a washer in said aperture and on said compression rubber, said washer having a central opening receiving said tubulation therethrough and having a lower portion with an outside diameter corresponding with the diameter of said aperture of the body and having an upper portion of smaller diameter thereby providing an annular recess, anti-friction means in said recess, a cap body threadable on said body and provided with an opening of the same diameter as said aperture in the body, said cap body also being provided with a tool-inserting recess located at and extending radially beyond said opening in the cap body to facilitate removal of said compression rubber and said washer, a cover movable on said cap body to permit the inspection or replacement of said compression rubber, said cover being provided with a slot, stop means on said cap body operable to fit into said slot to position said cover on said cap body,

and a resilient member pivotable on said cap body to secure said cover to said cap body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,675,992 Sherman July 3, 1928 2,042,772 Fahlbeck June 2, 1936 2,254,905 Mullan Sept. 2, 1941 2,543,432 Boxer Feb. 27, 1951 2,647,720 Volpin Aug. 4, 1953 2,670,115 Brock Feb. 23, 1954 2,678,761 Warren et al. May 18, 1954 2,755,975 Sundberg July 24, 1956 2,760,702 Pechy Aug. 28, 1956 2,925,245 Lucas Feb. 16, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 829.996 France May 2, 1938 

